Jade Barrett: Life Without Walls
by TaylorAnnMD
Summary: After the fall of Wall Maria and the decimation of its population, many took arms for vengeance for their fallen loved one. Jade joined for vengeance against the rich. She needs to make it right for people just like her who were left to die. Her journey starts with Captain Levi and the Special Operations Squad.
1. Chapter 1: Class Warfare

Only a handful of those who lived within Wall Maria saw the colossus titan appear. The muscular hand digging into the surface as if it were clay to a potter. Many fled once the colossus tore through part of the wall, others stood in terror as the titans poured through the hole. I saw its eyes as its head raised above the wall and my body froze. Hundreds of people blew past my body and the tremors of the titans shook through my body. That's when her head popped up from behind a house. Her body was steaming with intense heat and drool dripped from her mouth as her eyes fixated on my body. I ran.

I knew the general direction of the gate to Wall Rose and my legs took me there. I zigzagged through the streets, but I could feel the titan closing in on me. She had my scent and was not letting go, but I kept running. Her hand crashed a few feet from my body flinging me against the cobblestone. My eyes drifted to the sky as the world fell apart around me. Part of me was okay with dying. What kind of life is running from real life demons? A hundred years and this is what human beings have been reduced to: the rich using the poor as their buffer.

In my peripheral, I saw the glint of metal - fallen swords from a fallen soldier. The other part of me was not ready to die. Since birth I was a fighter and I was going to die a fighter. I leapt to the side grabbing the swords and looking the titan dead in the eye as she reached for me. Everything went quiet. It was just her and I in that moment. The ultimate fight for survival gave way.

I was not a trained officer, but I did not sit idly by like others. While they became complacent, I became stronger, faster. I would practice five or six times a week, honing my skills. A part of me knew this day may come and I wasn't going to be sitting meat. Barely missing her grasp, I scaled her arm. Her other hand grasped at my body, but I jumped swiftly dodging her attack. Her tremendous mouth opened wide and I launched myself into it. The hot, damp death trap became her demise as my blades sliced through the back of the throat and dug into the nape of her neck. And so, she fell.

My breathing was harsh as my knees buckled beneath me. I watched as she disintegrated. The swords felt heavier than before, but my grip did not loosen. I was snapped out of my daze by someone yelling.

I looked up to see a Garrison staring at me in disbelief. "How...how did you kill it? There's n-n-no way som-m-m-meone like you could do thi-i-is," he stammered.

I stood wiping the sweat from my forehead. "We need to get out of here," I said running past him and he soon followed.

I heard the screams of children, mothers, fathers being ripped to shreds and it took every ounce of me to not turn back to help them, but a new form of vengeance brewed deep inside me. All of these people were just pawns for the rich who sit safely within the Wall Sina. They will never know their faces or remember their names because their gluttonous asses care for nothing but themselves. Their fear and cowardice had inadvertently led to their deaths.

I heard a scream from behind me seeing the garrison being scooped up by a 4-meter. Without hesitation, I darted towards him. I launched my body upward removing his arm from his body. The garrison fell to the ground as he grabbed my body. He was squeezing the air from my lungs so I took a deep breath and with all my might drug the swords through his wrist. The grip loosened letting me project myself to his shoulder running the swords deep into his neck.

"Get up, now!" I screamed at the petrified man. We took off running once more. I could feel his gaze on my face, but as the gate became in focus I brushed it off. I could feel the panic of all the refugees. Blood soaked clothes and bodies. Tear stained cheeks. Dead eyes. There were only a few, but it was enough.

The swords fell from my hands and I dropped to the ground. My body was exhausted and my sight became blurry. _No, not now,_ I thought as my fingers dug into the ground. Everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Wall Sina

My eyes shot open searching the room in a panic. It was a small, plainly decorated room with a single window that glowed bright. On the nightstand was a glass and pitcher of water waited for me, which I chugged without hesitation. Every muscle and inch of my skin ached bringing back those harsh memories. I rested my forehead against the palm of my hands. As I rubbed my eyes, the door swung open.

My head snapped up to meet gazes with no other than Levi Ackerman.

"Where am I?" I asked, standing though my entire body screamed in protest.

"What's your name?" he asked in return.

We stared at each other waiting for one another to answer.

He sighed and responded, "You're in the Stohess District."

"Inside Wall Sina? Why?" I retorted in disbelief.

"Answer my question first," he replied sitting at the desk.

"My name is Jade Bennett," I said starkly staring him dead in the eye.

"Jade Bennett," he mused. "So, how did you kill two titans with no training?"

I clenched my fists, not out of anger, but worry. The silence was heavy in the room. Our eyes were locked waiting for my answer.

"If you're worried about being in trouble, don't be. We aren't looking to punish you for taking out two titans. That would be ridiculous," he scoffed.

"I have trained myself for years," I said briefly, relaxing my fists.

He raised his eyebrows. "The garrison said you used gear. How are you trained using that?"

"Answer one of my questions was I brought inside Wall Sina?" I sat on the bed, my legs were growing weak.

"With the recent attacks, we need as many skilled fighters on the line," Ackerman answered, simply.

I threw my head back and laughed, "No joke. Hundreds of people were eaten alive due to the complacency of the people who are supposed to protect us."

There was silence once more. I took a drink feeling his eyes watch my every move. "I'm not trained to use the gear specifically, but I know how to use a sword," replying to his previous question. "While the garrison sat around getting drunk and fat, I refused to be a pig in a pen."

A small smile crept across his face. "You are very opinionated on a service you haven't been a part of."

My eyes narrowed, I knew he wanted to agitate me. "It's not an opinion. One of your fellow officers was motionless as I took down a titan. Their cowardice is reflected in the people who pay for them," I commented downing the rest of my water.

"I'm not disagreeing with you," he chuckled. "I want to offer you a position. Of course, if you can prove yourself through training."

Unconsciously, I rolled my eyes. "What makes you think I want whatever position you are offering? I have no desire to be a pawn for the rich man's endgame."

"Is that how you see it?" he asked softly.

I took a moment before I replied. "If I fight, it's for my people. I will fight for the forgotten and the ones who are left to die so the rich can live. I don't need a uniform to do that. I don't need a position. But I do need their resources," I whispered.

"Cadets start training a week from today, but I have recommended you to Sadies for a personal training starting tomorrow. If you're interested and complete what he has in store for you, I will induct you as a member of the Special Operations Squad."

My heart stopped. That position within the Levi Squad was highly sought after and here he was offering me a spot. I couldn't help, but start laughing. My body shook with my outburst. I couldn't stop. Maybe it was all the stress of the day before, but my mind was releasing all of the pain, frustration, etcetera. Tears ran down my face until my laughter turned into sobbing. That's when I couldn't stop sobbing and that was when I felt arms around me.

"You have never killed anyone or anything. That pain you feel will never go away. Even though titans are constructed as monsters, their faces will never leave your mind. You will see their faces everyday, but more importantly you will see the faces you saved with your sacrifice. Only few are willing to sacrifice their sound of mind for the advancement of humanity," Levi murmured as he held my head in his lap.

I wiped my face sitting up. I took a deep breath looking him dead in the eye. "I will be there tomorrow," I stated recovering my composure.

He stood and with his back turned, said, "I will see you in a week."


	3. Chapter 3: Sadies

A large bang rang through my room startling me awake. My eyes hadn't completely focused, but I could tell it was still dark out. The lights flung on and a voice boomed, "Barrett! Get your ass out of bed. Hell week is starting right now!"

In the doorway stood Commandment Keith Sadies, his dark eyes glaring down at me. I threw my blankets off heading to put my shoes on, but he grabbed my arm throwing me out the door. "Run! Run until you can't breath, until your legs give out, until you break!" he yelled in my face.

I took a deep breath and did as I was told. My bare feet slapped against the cold stone and my lungs swallowed air that was just as cold.

The streets were silent leaving me to my thoughts. Levi Ackerman, what a strange individual. I have heard stories of his success, but also, his coldheartedness. Why would he comfort me during a time of weakness? Was it out of pity? I could play as many guessing games as my mind would allow, but all I could do now was finish out this training.

The sun started lighting up the sky and I kept taking lap after lap around Stohess. My lungs and legs burned, but I didn't stop. I could feel Sadies eyes on me at all times. He was trying to break me, but I would not allow him to do so. I was stronger than most of them and I refused to be run down by an old fool who thrives off the sufferings of others.

The sun traveled to the middle of the sky beating down on my scaithly cladded skin. I could feel my skin start to burn and dehydration hit my mouth like a ton of bricks. And yet I pushed forward.

"Are you ready for some water?" Sadies asked running beside me clutching a canteen.

I glanced at him without slowing my pace and nodded.

"Take it," he demanded using his ODM gear to scale the building beside us.

I took a deep breath accessing my surroundings. Sadies stared down at me as I scaled a building not far from where he stood. As I reached the top, he ran across the rooftop and I pursued. Even with his gear, I gained on him rather quickly and lunged at his body tackling him on a rooftop. As we wrestled, I slid one of his blades from his gear and held it against his throat.

"Surrender?" I inquired my legs wrapped tightly against his torso and the weight of the blade against his jugular.

He tapped his hand against the rooftop and I released sliding his blade back into his gear. He tossed me the canteen and we both drank in silence.

"Jade Barrett," he mused. "You look a hell of lot like your father."

My eyes widened and I looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Your father was Lupin Barrett, of the Survey Corps?" he asked, though he knew the answer. He took my silence as a yes."He was a great soldier."

I snorted. "You did not know him like I did."

There was another long silence. "I see a lot of this resentment from kids who lost their parents to titans. Part of you resents him for dying. He chose to be apart of the Survey Corps. He chose to give his life to the military. And he chose to leave you behind. You find it unforgivable. You lost your mother and then, he allowed himself to be taken from you as well."

I stared out across all the houses landing on the wall. My jaw was tight as he continued and my fists clenched, but I didn't stop him from speaking.

"That resentment will eat you alive. If you allow it to consume you, you will lose yourself and then what good will you be?" he asked, but I could hear a hint of joking in his voice. He tossed me a piece of bread. "Eat up, then we are back at it."

Over the course of a week, Sadies pushed me as far as he could. He gave me a crash course on how to use ODM gear. We trained sixteen hours out of the day. He hounded me, "Is that the best you got? Someone who took down two titans and this is the best you can give me?"

I pushed harder and harder until the final day, my body gave out. I collapsed at Sadies feet. Every part of me was exhausted, my head was pounding, my fingertips hurt, my eyes were heavy. Once again, everything went black.


End file.
